“If You Don’t Pay The Right Guys, You’ll Be S**t Outta Luck”– Nick Saban Got Real About NIL Era In ‘College GameDay’ Debut

Nick Saban has achieved so much in college football to this point that he can really do no wrong. ESPN was smart to get him on their College GameDay set and let him cook with the likes of Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and Kirk Herbstreit. It didn't take Saban long at all to make a big, hilarious splash. When discussing the explosion of name, image and likeness money (NIL) across the NCAA and how programs are spending millions of dollars on their rosters, Saban had a most astute observation: "I just want to say: You guys keep talking about a $20 million roster? If you don't pay the right guys, you'll be s**t outta luck." Herbstreit responded, "Congratulations — you just broke the Internet." And that may very well be the case. I could see the last sentence being evergreen meme-worthy. https://twitter.com/KirkHerbstreit/status/1829880338849612009 The NIL Wild West and the chaos of the transfer portal factored into Saban's decision to suddenly retire this past season after Alabama bowed out in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Plus, what else did he really have to prove at age 72? He'd built the biggest powerhouse of a program of my lifetime in Tuscaloosa, and by the end of his career, had seven national championships and 11 SEC titles among his most notable accolades. Looks like we're in for a treat with Saban on College GameDay if this rip-roaring start is any sign of things to come. Similar to how ESPN can't really control McAfee and what he says, I think Saban will prove to be a similar type of TV personality who won't sugarcoat talking points, and he certainly won't shy away from saying the quiet part out loud. Slight tangent here to finish: Overall, I'm just glad to see another big-time college coach get on the tube to overshadow Urban Meyer. Dude is the ultimate scumbag and is a biological black hole of charisma. How Fox employed him after he ran the Jacksonville Jaguars into the ground whilst being the world's biggest jacka** is one of modern sports media's greatest mysteries.